E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Chicago Police Department
Kenneth Williams (left) and Michael Ward (right) were charged Monday in the shooting death of Hadiya Pendleton
Two suspects have been charged in last month’s shooting death of a 15-year-old Chicago girl who performed at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration, police announced Monday night.
Michael Ward, 18, and Kenneth Williams, 20, each face one count of first-degree murder for the death of Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot two weeks ago in a park near her school, just days after returning from Washington, D.C., officials said. The two also face attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm for the attack that left two other teens wounded.
Ward was the shooter and confessed to police that Hadiya was not the intended target, police said. The shooting was allegedly meant to be a retaliation for Williams, who was shot last year.
Reached by phone Monday evening, Hadiya’s mother, Cleopatra Cowley, said she was “ecstatic” about the arrests and urged for the young men to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“Look at what they've done to me and my family. We put so much work into raising my daughter. We had hopes. My son no longer has a big sister. They deserve to feel something that is remotely comparable,” Cowley told NBC News. “But my daughter is dead and even if they are rotting in jail, they will still be alive.”
Chicago police superintendent Garry McCarthy called Hadiya’s family “rocks in supporting us in this investigation.” During the press conference he said he hopes the high-profile murder will lead to meaningful change in the city’s gun law.
He also stressed that it wasn't tips from the community that led to the arrests, but rather relentless detective work.
“This was one of the most methodical, practical investigations that I can remember,” said McCarthy.
Since her death, Hadiya has become one of the faces of the Obama administration’s efforts to reform the nation’s gun laws. First Lady Michelle Obama attended the teenager’s funeral Saturday, and Cowley has been invited to attended Tuesday’s State of the Union.
“My baby deserves a revolution and I pray that what happened her to her will have an impact,” she said.
Chicago police announce the arrest, and charges, against two men in the shooting death of Hadiya Pendleton. Police also confirm that the shooter mistook the teens for gang members.
Leave a Comment:
Maybe if meaningful sentences were handed down for crimes committed by gang members, we wouldn't have this problem.....or would that put too many Democrat voters in jail?
"Ward pleaded guilty early last year in a 2011 aggravated unlawful use of a weapon case and was given two years probation, according to court records. After an arrest on criminal trespass to a vehicle last summer, he was held without bond for a few weeks, but was released after a Sept. 9, 2012, hearing."
The jails in IL aren't big enough. Pile them in the front door and back up the bus to the back. More soldiers to join the gangs, since there was no rehabilitation in prison. Wake up America, you are still being had by the simplistic government that has all the answers.
@wire10221 Your an ignoramus and I'm being kind.
Don't need gun control. We need black on black crime control. Where are your children? Out stealing, gang banging. Hell you don't know. Get control of your own then worry about me and my gun.
"My baby deserves a revolution"
She does. Unfortunately the revolution that we need is for the black community to start acting like one. Stop having all our kids out of wedlock and keep the neighborhoods clean and show some pride in who you are. Start working harder and whining less. That's the revolution we need. What we'll GET is Sharpton and Jackson sound bites and some damn rap song in "memory" of this girl full of cussing. And another death a week later...
Obama is the WORST PRESIDENT EVER........dat guy is jus' damn sad, man
What ?....you are an idiot
I supported and voted for him. His handling of the Gun Control issue and his lying about the facts just got him cut off in our house. There will be no money are physical help to any Democrat until they clean their act up.
How about if your kids are charged with a crime, your welfare check gets lowered? ....want to see these parents start to take some responsibility for raising their children real fast???
Sing with me....."Nobody knows....da trubble I seen"...these 2 guys are scapegoats for the real problem....wake up America
wow.......two black gang bangers in chicago.....both should recive the death penalty...and soon
Three years to the "Death Penalty" and another 15-20 year wait to light them up!
Death Penalty for these punks.
death by public stoning....let the whole city see what happens to murderers........
gee, not detecting a lot of shock...or surprise...or sympathy. What I'd REALLY like NBC to post is the demographics of all 540 "victims" of Chicago's murders last year. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that maybe 20% actually were victims. The rest were black or Hispanic gang-banger/traffickers that whacked each other. But in keeping with the finest traditions of political correctness, the weasels in the press can't or won't say that. They, of course, think disarming me is a better idea. Guns don't kill people. Gang-bangers kill people. "See Photo Above". Oh, and one more thing....Barry IS the worst president since Jimmy the Bean Carter. Nixon was a choir boy compared to this maggot.
Glad these two scumbags were caught. They should both get the needle. How many murders in Obamaland so far this year? If only they had more gun control, yeah, thats the ticket.
Just once I'd like the police department to turn those two over to the families. Let them get tied to the back of the each of their cars and yank them apart. I guarantee that would end the ridiculous violence that happens every day in Chicago. And for once justice would be served.
yuk. I think I saw that in a movie once. funny....but....yuk. You'd get $4it all over the bumper of the car....
Once again we exchange one meaningful life with potential and hope for two useless losers who will rot in jail. Three lives lost. No one wins. Again.
Come on: Legalize drugs. Track the users. Use the revenue to fund help for the addicts and start the cycle of saving black men. We have instituted countless laws design to "help" african americans. And the more help we offer, the worse the outcomes. It's time for the black community challenge these kids on the street level. Put up video camera EVERYWHERE in the ghettos. Let these guys know that we care enough to try to save you from each other. It's just time.
I think we ALL feel for these young black woman who get saddled with kids and jump on the poverty treadmill the day after the kid is born. Again, NO ONE WINS! It's time to institute a mandatory contraception program for ANY American woman who on the welfare rolls. We can't afford to waste the meaningful ives of many African American women who are simply to young to understand the long term consequences of their actions.
It's time for us all to grow up and provide real help!
what are the chances that those two murderers had permit for their guns......FYI there is a beautiful young white girl named Rebecca murdered in Georgia.....she didnt got to the inauguration and no one from white house went to her funeral....but I bet her family is grieving just as much.
This is another reason why Obama should not have attended the funeral in Chicago.
YAY! Let's Hope Neither One of Those Punk's Procreated, Breeding Yet Another Generation of Menaces to Society!
Blacks killing blacks what's the problem...only reason these two pos got caught so fast is due to fact of Prez crap....any other black teen killed doesn't even get a mention at the WH.....
The Revolution will start when the people decide that Rev. Jackson, Al Sharpton and Fr. Fleger (JAF) are protecting the thugs. They (JAF) scream the loudest when police are searching thugs for weapons and drugs - screaming that the police are violating the thug's constitutional rights. BS!!!!
The PEOPLE have a choice - protect the rights of the innocent people or protect the rights of the thugs!
Plain and simple protect the rights of - the thugs carrying weapons and dealing drugs on the corner - OR - the innocent children walking to school . It is up to the people !
STOP protecting the thugs - turn in the names to the police !
It's amazing what can be done when you devote an entire cities resources to one cause or problem, however it's a shame that no other crimes have been solved in Chicago in the last two weeks.
What meaningful gun law changes can be made in Chicago?
har har har. Meaningful changes to the most restrictive gun laws in the US...? Real interesting direct statistical correlation. Most restrictive gun laws...most murders. Maybe...just maybe....guns ain't the problem?
Give everyone a gun and teach them how to use it! That is a meaningful change.
Obama wants to talk about a "gun" problem because he doesn't want to talk about a "Black male" problem.
This is an ordinary, sad story in the black community in any number of inner-city areas. Let's start with a rap culture that celebrates ignorance, violence, drugs and sexuality, add a generous helping of unwed mothers, (75-80% of black mothers under 30), add food stamps, welfare and weak judges, and voila! an urban disaster in need of eternal support from the rest of us.
My wife pops up every year wanting me to take her to Chicago. I just give her the stare like, "Let me go get the straight jacket Honey." Why don't we go someplace safe like Juarez? That is what kind of reality you get when you watch fiction TV all the time. Chicago is so mobbed up, or should I say ganged up that the cops can't go some places.
Take your wife to Chicago and stay withing a half a mile from Michigan Blvd. You will enjoy the trip, the sights, food and what is good about the town.
Have these two winners been arrested before? I would guess several times before. But I don't know and there is no mention about priors in the article. Could be sealed records because they were under age.
"Ward pleaded guilty early last year in a 2011 aggravated unlawful use of a weapon case and was given two years probation, according to court records. After an arrest on criminal trespass to a vehicle last summer, he was held without bond for a few weeks, but was released after a Sept. 9, 2012, hearing."
...from different source.
Conviction to the fullest extent of the law will most likely be a 10 year sentence and be out in 4. Pathetic.
Until you can convict and sentence criminals to the fullest extent of the law, don't talk to me about gun control. Fug'm
I am sure that all of the rest of the families of the victims of GANG (not gun) violence are elated that CPD solved this case so quickly!! And in fact just in time for tomorrow's SOTU address!! But not to worry! I'm sure CPD will eventually get to those cases as well! Maybe!
I'm shocked, simply shocked that the perps were inner-city black convicted criminals! I thought for sure the cops would find some gun-lovin-bible-clinging rednecks. Guess they moved out of Chicago a while ago. Who knew? I'm sure Obama can make sense of it all. Maybe, have a beer with the poor victim's daddy, if they can find him.